Separator for removing vegetable growths and coarse material from gravel and the like.



H. N. POTTER. SEPARATOR FOR REMOVING VEGETABLE GROWTHS AND COARSEMATERIAL FROM GRAVEL AND HE UKE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. |913Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

, plate HENRY NDEL POTTER, OF HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA.

SEPRATOR FOR BEMUVING .VEGETABLE GEOWTHS AN!) GOAESE, MATERIAL M @RAVELAND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent. l Patje-lrlted Apr. 6, 1915.

f Application led March 22, 191.3. Serial No. 758,257

10 at@ u1/wm t may comm-n: y

Be it known that HENRY None POTTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hollywood, in the county of and State of California, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements -in Separators for RemovingV getable Growths and Coarse Material fro Gravel and the like, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus intended more particularly 'forseparating fine dirt, clay, sand, gravel, etc., from grass, roots, andother iibrous vegetable matter; also from the coarse sizes of gravel,stones, rock, etc., generally associated therewith in gravel banks, sandbars, etc.

The object of my invention is to provide a means whereby mass of dirtfrom a gravel bank, placer-deposit, etc., and containing all sizes ofgravel and stones mixed with clay and sand in varying proportions, and alarge amount of vegetable growths, such as grass, weeds, roots, etc.,and with a supply of water, may be screened; the fine sand and gravelbeing separated from the coarse stones, long iibrousl vegetable growthsand other matter that would interfere with the recovery of any finematerial, such as values etc., in placer mining.

The apparatus comprises one or more devices having longitudinallyextended interspaces open atathe discharge ends hereinafter referred toas a comb or combs, combined with a perforated or woven screen, soarranged that the feed of the gravel-bank or placer-deposit material issupplied to the comb which permits the fine clay, sand, and small gravelto pass through, but excludes the coarse gravel and most of thevegetable matter. rower interspaces may be placed below the first, orbeyond the first, in the line of movement of the fines from thepreceding comb, and serves to remove still more coarse gravel andiibrous vegetable matter from the fines delivered by the first comb. Aperforated or woven wire screem having apertures larger than the widthof the interspaces in the iine comb, is placed below the ne comb, orbeyond and in series with 1t, and serves to catch the last of thefibrous vegetable matter, pieces of mica, ctc., that pass the fine comb;the quantity of such growths that collect on the screen does not LosAngeles l plate or apron A second comb usually having nar-v clog it toan objectionable point in practice until after a considerablel time,generally an hour or longer, when it is removed in any suitable manner.The material 4 passing through the apertures of the plate or screen istreatedI in any suitable manner to recoverthe nes,sands', values, etc.,that the gravel or placerdeposit may contain.

Theiibrous vegetable matter referred to consists of long slenderflexible roots, grasses, etc., and in practice they become entangled inthe apertures of screens, thereby reducing their capacity, and furtherrendering -itdiiiicult to remove them;

One of the advantages ofusing combs in a screen vof this character isthat such entangled fibrous vegetable matter can be readily removed bysliding out of and off the teeth at their open ends.

In the kannexed drawings'z--fFigure 1 is a view in perspective of oneform of my separator, with one side removed; Fig. 2 is a vertical4cross-section of anotherl form showing rotating brushes to.; remove thecoarse stones, vegetable growths, etc., from the combs; placed back toback; and Fig. 4: is a section of a portion of the screen-plate showingthe shape of the aperture.

The above figures are diagrammatic only.

'In Fig. 1, a launder 1, through which gravel, etc., is fed, empties on'a suitable 2, which in turn empties ona comb 3, the teeth or tinesv ofwhich are made of Wires or rods with their free ends projecting over aledge 4. The upper end 5 of the comb is supported below the apron 2 in amanner as to permit its ready removal, as for repairs, etc. The materialsupplied to the comb 3 consistspf a massA of clay, sand gravel, stones,veget ble fibers, etc., with water, as abovev not and is in practiceusually the fines' from a coarse, grizzly or rotary screen of some .wellknown orm which removes bowlders,'brush, and other extremely coarseoversize; the clay, sand, earth, etc., .calledvthe fines, passingthrough the interspaces bet-weenthe teeth or tines of the comb 3 to thedeflector '6 below; whilel the coarser stones, ibrous vegetable growths,

etc., called the oversize, pass over the ledge 4t into a suitablechannel or waste-launder, not shov'vn. The fines with some vegetablebersfalling on the deflector 6 ass down onto the apron 7 to the fine com8, where Fig. B'shows two separators,

.'29 struct-imita the immdei: lei bei@ 25l The structure sbav/ii iinFig. is simiim a further quantity of coarse stones and by 'y @hmsuitijible means, ihereby deetzibia fibers are screened, 01H15coiiecting amd pre. sing' 'one edge und raising the other. passing overthe ledge 9, into the Same Scteens so made :ire mOi-e rapid iheiWastedaimdei that receives he owsisize Screaming action than wher@ theaxis of h@ 5 from ledge 4. zipeiuuze perpendicular to the piane @f y@it; Wiii be noted ihm? :tbs ledge 9i@ he smsen. 'if desired, izhcnnppei'mig@ of the dined s0 as to fetali-d h@ discharge 0f im :zperuie may b@cu'o o? 'iecf; of?, :is shown coarse iim'rei; this is advisubie .vifielethe ai; l?. thereby making h@ @creen easier to Stream has :i highveiociy., or is vel-y liquid clean. l@ 4due to the presence of @ivf-5sWzleix .i claim:

Thrmigh the cfimb il the fines :md few l. fn Q.. Sepa 'miur the dassdiesiibe, Yegeimbie liber-s pass und over *alla febe coinbinaion of :icouib and. a. screen al*- Hector pizite 10 t@ ma apron il, from i h ,oali Siu'cessieily upfrii maiariais v50 they m55 tolli@ screen piace if)21h@ f l' "sied, fi Sci'fn having aiieiitimes 0f ii y 1 i x L Av A turesi8 of which hav@ v. gravita? -V than the widh oi' he iuiai'spncs in finecomb, and Amuy have my suita mund, squme, etc. fines pass through theaperturas lwifl l aber #maier ih. il@ mii rspsxcs sziiu g@ sspmatci' siizhfmxss described., ultimi of zi com?) mii screen. ha ii: vingaperturas of diimeteif width of the ineispices of :ma i as fao aive ihnsind l).

longthin .'egetable bers. 109.55- i J n'1ic;ietc., that, nuiyhme, p 1ha. @am collection the screen, fix/mi which tixey im he, periodicallyremovgd rims i. tdthzit in Fig. 1. l; :it hassuiisibie n'min'an nf theimei' @asus 0 ,qui :hailing ,deviizes7 such i" iii'siiig the iwi-mb, undiocaileci s0; as; izo rcsiirfa brushes l5, 16, to/ remove the m'eisixe.in finas "mm :inizi (zaini). md umani: 'emov `ciuding the vegetiibiefibers. ''im'u the combs ovali fiom sniii admi.

L x au; fied to the] device by a Having; .Si'izam ai' 00ml; tu sind.scx'an, und mea-ms to remove, uw

Natel', asin piacer nining;- the .vzsiei' paisstim iejscied oversii@ fr@013:-, si is of ing through the combs and s :een mwl'y- Comb mi smesn.

goldmpingdevies, not showii. As Sii-0'.'\. dus cmii'iinzaiim. :i Succ@40 the con/ibs. and scifeen discmrg@ 'Y having; liiieimg imefspacas, andK0."

`size txi/the same side nii tim .Qepsa Li ml, mi scm@ arranged I. Lim.amis i imm to be screened thereto, means to discharge coarse materialtherefrom, means to deflect fine screened material to another comb,whereby it is further screened into coarse and line material, means todischarge coarse material therefrom, and means to deflect the inescreened material to a screen having apertures of larger diameter thanthe Width of the spaces in the fine comb.

ln a separator of the class described, the combination of a successionof combs and a screen placed in the line of movement of materials to beseparated, means to supply material to be separated to said combs, andmeans to remove coarse material from said combs.

10. In a separator of the class described, the combination of asuccession of combs and a screen placed in the line of movement ofmaterials to be separated, means to supply material to be separated tosaid combs, and means to remove adhering matter from the coarse materialWhile said coarse material is in said separator.

material to beY 12. ln a separator of the class described, v

the combination of a comb, a deilecting launder, and a screen, arrangedto act continuously and successively upon solid materials carried in astream of Water, said screen having apertures of greater `Width than theinterspaces of said comb," and adapted receive the lowvfrom saidlaender, the dis charge ends of said comb and screen being substantiallyone above the other.

In testimony whereof alix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

" HENRY NE'L POTTER,

Witnesses:

W. J. GRETTEN,

LILLIAN EDMONDS.

